


Everything Comes Back to You

by Cobrilee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Single Parent Shiro (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22672597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cobrilee/pseuds/Cobrilee
Summary: When a family tragedy occurs, Shiro has to drop out of college. Eleven years later, he goes back to school as a single dad. He expects to get an education. He doesn't expect to fall in love with someone closer to his daughter's age than his (or so he thinks).
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 232





	Everything Comes Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my thoroughly belated 2019 Fandom Trumps Hate fic! The awesome [Hemsbutt](https://twitter.com/hemsbutt) bid on me and at this point I don't even remember what the prompt was because it was almost a year ago. Together, we came up with single dad Shiro going back to college later in his adult years, and meeting Keith in class. 
> 
> I'll be honest, I wasn't feeling Sheith by the time the auction was over, and finding out someone bid on me was almost a disappointment. A year later, I'm so, so grateful for the way things turned out, because not only did I fall in love with Sheith again, I really, really love this fic. I hope you all do too.
> 
> (As always, thanks to [Rhysiana](https://rhysiana.tumblr.com/) for the beta work, and [Mad Madam M](https://mad-madam-m.tumblr.com/) for listening to me whine about this fic for nearly a year. I don't know what I'd do without you both! <3)

"Well, baby, how do I look?" 

His twelve-year-old daughter circles him, eyeing him critically, and Shiro tries not to take it to heart.

"You look like you're trying too hard," Keely announces finally, and Shiro winces. "Lose the sweater vest or I guarantee all the eighteen-year-olds in your classes are going to think you're the professor."

"Tell me how you really feel," Shiro grumbles, but it's good-natured, and he slips out of the sweater vest and tosses it on the back of the couch. "Better?" 

"Passable."

"You're hard on your old man's ego, you realize that, right?" 

She ducks away from his attempt to ruffle her hair. "I don't know whether to say 'you asked', or 'key word being old'." She gives him a cheeky grin and he sighs in fond exasperation. 

"You just said both. Now get to school or you'll be late."

"Same to you!" she sing-songs, dancing out of his reach and snagging her backpack. Blowing him a kiss, she disappears out the front door. 

Watching her leave is a small blow; she’s in sixth grade now, and has decided that middle school is too old for her to show up with her dad in tow. It’s the first year he hasn’t taken her in for her first day of school, taking pictures in front of the big oak on the front lawn, or beside the school’s sign. He knew this day would come eventually, but he wasn’t ready for it when she looked at him in horror when he reminded her they’d have to be up early enough to get there when the lawn was empty enough for pictures.

He’s still not ready for it a week later, but she’s already gone and there’s nothing he can do about it anyway.

His phone pings, and he looks down at it.

**Keely: Stop wallowing and get off the couch, Dad. You have to be on campus in half an hour.**

He makes a face at the phone. She’s not wrong.  **Don’t forget I’m the parent, you’re the kid.**

**Keely: Sure, Dad. Are you still sitting on the couch?**

He doesn’t respond. He won’t lie, and he can’t tell the truth.

**Keely: Thought so. Get going, old man. You move slower these days, so you need to give yourself more time.**

Shiro sighs and hauls himself up off the couch, texting as he does.  **You’re getting pretty sassy. I bet it’s those kids you hang out with. They’re a bad influence.**

**Keely: Do you realize how old you sound?**

He does, unfortunately. Instead of replying, he stuffs his phone in his pocket, grabs his backpack from the counter, and heads for the garage. Flipping on the light switch and taking his leather jacket off the hook on the wall, he takes the time to appreciate his one true indulgence, a gleaming red-and-black Ducati. He doesn’t get to drive it much, considering most of his driving time is spent taking Keely to capoeira or aikido, or getting groceries, mundane errands that don’t make sense for a fancy, super-fast motorcycle. 

But he’s not above using it to look like a badass on campus. It’s probably going to be the only thing that keeps all the younger, fresh-out-of-high-school kids from making fun of him for being old and lame. Like his daughter does, regularly.

Grabbing his helmet, he hits the button and waits for the door to open before he revs the engine unnecessarily loud and peels out. He knows he’s going to catch hell for it from Mr. Granby later on, but for now, he’s going to enjoy himself.

\-----

Shiro knows he’s got a lot of eyes on him when he pulls into the parking lot. The row of motorcycle parking spaces is small, but it’s right in front of Main Hall, so he feels vindicated in his excess when he eases into the second slot and kills the engine.

The helmet gives him an advantage; he can easily watch the expressions of envy and admiration on the faces of the students walking through the parking lot and crossing the quad beside Main Hall. He can’t help preening a little as he lifts one leg high and shifts his hip, swinging it behind him so he can easily clear the seat of the bike.

There’s one guy who doesn’t recover quite as quickly as the others, and Shiro can admit to himself that he’s glad for it. The guy looks like he’s probably a freshman or sophomore, has motorcycle gloves of his own, and his hair is dark and wild around his face. He’s beautiful, and Shiro has to remind himself that he’s not here to pick up kids who aren’t much older than his daughter.

It’s a pity, because that’s one man he’d like to take home for an in-depth anatomy and physiology study session. 

Shiro takes his time tucking his gloves into his backpack, then slides the helmet off. The look of pure lust on the guy’s face doesn’t go away when he looks up from the bike to meet Shiro’s eyes. 

“Is that a 1299 Superleggera?”

His voice is nearly rapturous, and Shiro has to talk himself down from a boner right there. “It is. I take it you’re a rider?”

He bites his lip, and Shiro wants to bite it too. He gives up on fighting the boner. Thankfully he’s still holding his backpack in front of him. “Sort of. I don’t have one of my own yet, but I’m working on it. I mostly ‘borrow’ the ones that come into the shop.”

“Doesn’t sound like the borrowing is consensual,” Shiro comments dryly, tucking his helmet against his hip while he shoulders the backpack on again. 

The other man shrugs. “I volunteer to test drive them after the repairs are complete. Those test drives just usually happen after hours, and frequently involve crossing county lines.”

Shiro lets out a rich laugh, and doesn’t miss the sharp glance flicked his way. “Let me guess, you’re on the debate team.”

He makes a face. “Who has time for extracurriculars? I have three jobs and a scholarship to maintain.”

Shiro glances at his watch and feels a pang of disappointment. “I feel you there, although I have.. different responsibilities. Including getting to class on time, which is less than five minutes away now. It was nice to meet you…?”

“Keith.” Keith gives him a slow once-over, and Shiro can’t help but puff up a little. He easily has a dozen years on this kid, but that doesn’t stop him from appreciating the obvious attraction. “I’ll see you around. Can’t miss that bike.”

He turns to head for his own class, and Shiro calls out, “Shiro.” Keith half-turns, a quizzical expression in his eyes. “My name is Shiro.”

Keith nods, and his eyes darken. “Nice to meet you, Shiro.”

Shiro stares after Keith’s retreating form so long, he ends up being late to his first class.

\-----

Shiro tries to pretend he’s not keeping an eye out for Keith around campus, but it doesn’t stop him from being disappointed that he never manages to find him.

Until Thursday, and his mid-afternoon History of Aviation in American Life class. 

He's sitting near the middle of the room, four rows back, when he catches sight of Keith making his way through the door. Shiro freezes, uncertain if he should try to catch Keith's attention, because nothing would be more humiliating than making a fool of himself if Keith doesn't remember him. He decides to try to keep his eyes to himself as Keith walks past, but he’s keenly aware of Keith turning down the aisle behind him. There’s a heavy thud as his backpack hits the ground, and he settles into the seat behind Shiro.

Shiro holds back a shiver when Keith leans forward, his warm breath hitting the back of Shiro’s neck as he murmurs, “Hey, Ducati.”

He doesn’t turn around when he replies, “I’m more than just my assets, you know.” He lets his voice take on a disapproving tone, but Keith just snorts.

“You must be Batman, then, because you have plenty of assets.”

Shiro  _ knows _ he’s not imagining the sly voice, but he has no idea what to do now. He’s not truly prepared to have a full-on flirtation with a teenager who’s just getting his first taste of freedom and lusting over an older man, but God, does he want to indulge in being sexually appreciated.

When he doesn’t respond right away, Keith sits back in his seat. Shiro tries to tell himself he’s not disappointed by the lack of proximity, but the cold air on the back of his neck is uncomfortable in more ways than one.

It's difficult to concentrate during class with Keith's presence immediately in the forefront of his thoughts, and he scolds himself more than once. This elective was one of the classes he was most looking forward to, but by the time class is over, he can't remember a word the professor said. Hell, he can't remember the professor's  _ name _ . 

"I think this is going to be my favorite class this semester," Keith comments when they stand up, and Shiro pivots slightly, wondering if Keith is speaking to him or someone else nearby. He catches Keith's gaze, which is locked on him so intently he feels, just for a moment, like a butterfly with pinned wings. 

"I'm withholding judgment," Shiro says noncommittally, embarrassed to admit he hadn't paid a bit of attention. "I have another class tomorrow."

"A Friday class? That's rough." They fall into step as they make their way out of the classroom. 

"I had to pick classes that would fit in with my schedule," Shiro explains, even though he's fairly certain that's a level of detail Keith has no interest in. "I have to be out of class by the time my daughter's school lets out, so I can go pick her up."

He doesn't know if he thought the disclosure of being a parent would eliminate Keith's interest in him, but he's gratified when Keith doesn't even blink. 

"No bus service where you live?" 

"It's not that. She has extracurriculars, and I like to be involved with that part of her life." Shiro rubs his good hand against the back of his neck, knowing this next part is going to feel awkward. "It's just the two of us, so I try to do everything I can with her. Everything she'll let me, anyway," he amends ruefully. 

They've made their way out to the parking lot by this point, and Shiro stops by the bike and slips on his riding jacket. He doesn't go for the helmet, though, knowing that the instant he does, it will signal the end of their conversation. He's not ready for that, not yet. 

"Sounds like you're a good dad," Keith says. There's a touch of wistfulness in his voice. 

Shiro shrugs. "I have to be. She deserves everything I can give her, and more." He checks his watch and tries to keep his face from falling in disappointment. "I have to get going, her school lets out in half an hour and the pickup line is a bitch if you get there late."

Keith nods. "Understood." He turns to start walking to the campus bus stop, then calls over his shoulder, "See you next week, Ducati."

"My name is Shiro," he calls back, and Keith winks. 

Shiro is fucked, and he's not even mad about it. 

\-----

"Yo, Lover Boy. Anybody home?" 

Keith frowns at Lance as he waves a spoon in Keith's face. "Shut up, Lance."

"You lack such creativity in your banter," Lance says mournfully. "Also, your head is completely in outer space. Are you still thinking about the dude with the bike?" 

He knew he should never have told Pidge about Shiro. Of course she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut to Lance. "I'm thinking about the bike. She's beautiful, you should see her."

"I'd rather see her owner, find out who could possibly have your head in the clouds for the past week," Lance shoots back. 

Keith shakes his head. "Knock it off, Lance. There's no way he's interested in me. The guy's old enough to have a kid."

"Technically you are, too," he points out around a mouthful of Fruity Pebbles. "Except no one would want to breed with you."

"Fuck off." Keith throws a dirty sponge at him and he ducks, sloshing milk and cereal out of his bowl in the process. Lance makes a face as he wipes at the milk droplets clinging to his shirt, and Keith makes a face in turn when Lance pulls a few Fruity Pebbles from the fabric and pops them in his mouth. 

"Besides, Pidge said you were flirting with him. Doesn't  _ sound _ like you think your chances are so dismal."

Keith tries not to flush; he still can't believe he was so brazen. Normally he's not shy about that kind of thing, but it was a little different to be hitting on a dad, and one so much older than Keith himself. "I wasn't thinking about that at the time. He's hot, so I flirted. But it doesn't have a chance in hell of going anywhere."

"Such a self-defeating attitude," Lance tsks, and Keith debates getting up to grab the sponge and throw it at him again. "Just don't forget, you can't get laid if you don't even try."

"You're a pig." Keith downs the last bite of his eggs and pushes his plate away, then slides down from the barstool. "And I'm going to be late for work."

"Stop running away from the truth, you coward!" Lance calls from behind him, and Keith flips him off over his shoulder as he heads for the front door. 

He's not running away from the truth. He is, unfortunately, embracing it. Shiro is gorgeous, yes, but he's also older, a dad, and seems to have his life together. Keith is the last person a guy like Shiro would want around his kid, unless he was just looking for a one night stand. 

Which Keith could give him, but Keith also knows Shiro isn't the kind of guy he could walk away from after one night. So. It's best to just not get involved with him on more than a classmates level, right? 

\-----

"And strike!" 

His class falls into position, half with their arms thrust out, the other half preparing to receive the attack. They're working on effective wrist-grabs today, both single and double, and several of his students are awkward with their approach. 

He stops at one eight-year-old boy and demonstrates, showing him how to move his body to be in the most advantageous position. The boy studies him intently, mimics the movement, and grabs his partner's wrists. Keith nods and the boy beams, so he moves on to the next pair that seems to be struggling. 

"How's it going over here?" 

Justin scowls. "Keely is cheating."

Keith raises an eyebrow. Justin is one of his less-committed students, and he frequently blames others for his failures. He's had conversations with both of Justin's parents, but Mrs. Hanes accused him of being too hard on Justin, and Mr. Hanes didn't think his son could fail. He's resigned himself to doing the best he can for Justin, while knowing the entire family's attitude was just setting him up for failure. 

Keely, on the other hand, is one of his newer students. She's done well so far, but he doesn’t have enough of a sense of her to know if she could, in fact, be cheating. 

At the accusation, Keely rolls her eyes. "Sensei Kogane, I don't have to cheat to be better than him. I just have to try, because he's not trying at all."

Justin's face turns red, and his eyes go slitted. "You think you're such a hotshot, but you're not. I'm not trying because I could kick your ass if I did, and I don't want to hurt you."

Keith opens his mouth to warn Justin that both threatening and profane language are forbidden in the dojo, but before he can get a word out, Keely sighs and launches into a combination of strikes, spins, flips, and a leg-sweeping motion that lands Justin on his back before he can even think to defend himself. 

Keely smirks down at him. "Sure you could. Dumbass."

Keith has to bite back a laugh. "Keely, that's not appropriate." He glances down at Justin, but doesn't make an effort to help him up. "But neither was what you said. I would suggest you remember that the dojo is a place where we respect each other, and take responsibility for our own actions."

Justin's response comes in the form of a mumble, but Keith can catch the "Yes, Sensei Kogane" well enough to satisfy him. 

He turns to Keely. "Some of those moves looked like capoeira. Do you study?" 

Keely nods, brightening. "For almost four years. I love it."

"What prompted you to choose aikido, then?" he asks. 

Shrugging, she heads for the bleachers and grabs a towel to wipe her face. "My dads. One studied it when he was younger, and the other wanted me to study something that would be more practical as a form of defense."

“Smart.” Keith watches as a woman with long, white hair comes in and waves to Keely, who brightens and waves back. “That's Allura, right? She's picking you up today?" 

Keely nods as Allura makes her way over to where they're standing. "Hi, Aunt Allura. This is my sensei."

Keith sticks a hand out, and Allura shakes it firmly. "Keith Kogane. You're her aunt?" 

"Close enough." She smiles, with a warmth that matches her voice. "I'm a family friend, but we've known each other so long I'm honorary family."

"Will you always be the one to pick her up?" She hesitates, and Keith hastily adds, "I'm not trying to hit on you, I promise. I just want to know if I'll be able to meet her fathers at pick-up time, or if I'll need to schedule an appointment with them. I try to speak with all the parents to set expectations for both in class and at home, and I haven't seen either of them yet."

Allura opens her mouth as if it to say something, then seems to think better of it. Glancing at Keely, she says, "Her father's schedule has been upended a bit the last couple months. I'll speak with him and let him know you'd like him to pick her up next class, if possible."

He doesn't miss the fact that she's referencing only one man, when Keely had specifically mentioned two fathers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that one will not be available, for whatever reason. 

"Thanks," he says instead, opting not to open that can of worms. "Keely, great job today. And don't let people like Justin get you down. People like that will always try to tear down anyone they're jealous of."

Keely makes a dismissive gesture. "I know. I don't care what small-minded, entitled white boys think of me. I'm too busy beating them at everything."

"Keely!" Allura admonishes, but she's not quite successful at hiding her smile. "Your father would find that highly inappropriate, young lady."

Keith allows himself a small laugh as Keely and Allura head for the exit, waving goodbye as they do. She reminds him a lot of his younger self, and he does not envy her father the undoubtedly challenging job of raising her. 

\-----

“Okay, baby, I promise I’ll be home for dinner.” Shiro shifts his phone to his other shoulder as he adds a third book to the ever-growing pile in his arm. “No, I swear I won’t stay on campus too late. I just need to get the last of my books. Yes, I know I should have done this two weeks ago, but I wanted to make sure I was actually going to stay in the classes. Ha ha, joking about the dropout, how original.” 

He eyes a hoodie with the school’s logo and debates buying it for Keely, despite the fact that she’s being a sassy brat. Again. “No, baby, you don’t have to worry that I’m going to end up living on the streets with no job and no education to fall back on.” He grabs the hoodie, because he’s predictable. “Okay, okay, enough badgering me for today. I’ll be home in an hour. Ish. Promise. Okay. Love you.”

He presses the disconnect button and slips the phone in his pocket, then hoists the books further up into the crook of his arm so they stop sliding. It’s only when he looks up that he sees Keith standing there, mouth open, a stack of books of his own in his hands. “Keith!” Shiro breaks into a grin and immediately feels foolish, but he can’t help it. He hasn’t seen Keith on campus since their last aviation class, and apparently he’s gotten used to seeing him at least a couple times each week. 

Keith shakes his head and smiles back, but it doesn’t fill his face the way Shiro instinctively knows his own does. “You didn’t strike me as the type of guy who waits until after add/drop week to buy his books.”

Shiro shrugs a little. “My schedule is a little hectic, so I wanted to make sure it was going to be feasible to stay in all my classes before I bought the books.”

“Makes sense.” Keith shelves the books in his hands, then gestures for Shiro to hand over his own pile. Shiro does, confused. “I’ll ring you up over here.”

“You work in the bookstore?” Shiro asks as he follows Keith to the front, then winces. “Never mind, that was a dumb question. Obviously you do, or you wouldn’t have volunteered to ring me up.”

Keith snorts in agreement. “I work enough hours, I don’t need to work more just to be nice.” He taps a code into the computer and starts scanning the books. “This is the job that fills in the hours between classes. The shop fills my weekends.”

“And when do you study?” Shiro teases, trying to keep the stupid grin off his face when Keith heaves a long-suffering sigh. 

“Between the hours of ten pm and four am,” he says dryly. “Which is why none of my classes start before ten am.” 

Shiro starts to pull out his credit card while Keith scans the hoodie, then scans a bar code from a sheet of paper. He immediately protests when he sees a discount code flash across the screen, and his total drops by ten percent. “Keith, you don’t have to use your employee discount for me.”

Keith gives him another small smile. “It’s okay. You keep me entertained in Aviation, so it’s the least I can do.” He takes Shiro’s proffered card and runs it, then hands it back. “Have a good night, Shiro. Enjoy your dinner with your friend.”

Shiro blinks in confusion. “My friend?”

A dull red flush crawls up Keith’s neck, and Shiro wants to run his tongue over it until it climbs higher. “I may have overheard you on the phone. Sounds like someone’s anxious for you to get home.”

Realization dawns and he lets out a full, rich laugh. “That was my daughter. She loves to give me endless grief, for whatever reason she can come up with that day. She managed to get in jabs about my lack of time at home these days, my reduced hours at work, and the potential that I might burn out from overwork and drop out of school, then subsequently fail to provide for her, all in one conversation.”

“Now  _ that’s _ talent,” Keith laughs. “My roommate would love her. He’s the same kind of smartass.”

"Two of them in one room?" Shiro shudders in mock fear. "May they never meet."

"I can neither imagine a world in which they meet, nor would I want to." Keith makes a face. "Mostly because no young child should be subjected to Lance unless he's unconscious. Or they are."

Shiro laughs again, which he feels is going to be a common response around Keith. Everything he does makes Shiro happy, although Shiro chooses not to look too closely at the reasons why. 

Keith hands the bag over and Shiro takes it. Sparks jump down his spine when his fingers brush Keith's, and from the look on Keith's face, he felt it too. Shiro can feel the heat rise in his face and he mentally scolds himself. He's thirty years old, for God's sake, he is  _ not _ a fumbling school kid. 

"See you in class?" Keith says, and it sounds enough like a question that Shiro latches onto the opportunity. 

"Wouldn't miss it," he murmurs, pleased when Keith's eyes dilate. 

He scolds himself some more as he walks away, because again, he's far too old for a teenager. Flirting is pointless and inappropriate. 

_ But fun and gratifying, too,  _ his brain taunts him gleefully, and Shiro is not too mature to acknowledge the accuracy of the thought. 

\-----

“Daaaaaad!”

Shiro groans under his breath at the accusatory tone in Keely’s greeting. “What did I mess up this time, baby?” he asks with a sigh. He hasn’t even managed to shut the front door and he’s already on her shit list, apparently.

“Sensei Kogane asked Aunt Allura  _ again _ to have you come pick me up after practice one night,” she explains, hands on hips and eyes rolling so hard he’s not sure how they don’t pop out of her skull. “Like he did last week, and the week before, and the three weeks before that.”

Oh, that. “And did Aunt Allura explain to him that the reason she picks you up on Wednesdays is because it’s one of the two nights a week I can’t leave work early?” he asks, striving for a patience he doesn’t feel.

“No, she did not,” Allura says unapologetically as she greets him with a kiss on the cheek, which is at least a better greeting than getting whined at. “It’s not my place to make your excuses to her teacher. Can’t you email him, or call the dojo and ask to meet him another time?”

“I could, but that would require remembering to do so during my working hours.”

“Set an alarm.”

Keely’s flippant response doesn’t hold its usual charm for him; it could be that tonight was exceptionally long, or it could be that her flippancy is coming more fast and furious than usual. “If only I had thought of the option of using technology to make my life easier,” he grumbles back at her, and she snorts. “I’ll call tomorrow, promise.”

“You say you will, but we both know you won’t,” she sing-songs, and he scowls at her. “We’re having spaghetti for dinner. I won the coin toss.”

Shiro glances down at his waistline ruefully. “We need to start branching our dinner options out beyond pasta. I’ve gained five pounds since you started doing the meal planning.”

“I used angel hair pasta, so it’s thinner,” Allura informs him as she heads back in the kitchen. “And chicken meatballs with butternut squash sauce. Surely that will meet with your approval.”

“You’re both angels and I don’t deserve you,” he calls over his shoulder as he heads for the stairs to his room. 

He studies himself in the mirror as he strips his work suit off, shifting a little each way to examine the lines of his torso. He’s still fit, which he attributes to running after a driven and energetic child and the three times a week he manages to make it to the gym, but he can see where his edges will soften when he inevitably starts slacking off. Not that it matters; he’s been single for more years than he cares to think about, and being a single father isn’t exactly date bait.

His thoughts drift to Keith, who hasn’t seemed to care at all that he’s a single father. He tries not to let himself think it means anything, because Keith more than likely doesn’t even think about him in terms of a relationship. He probably sees Shiro as a potential one night stand, if anything. Someone like Keith is so far removed from Shiro’s daily life that a child wouldn’t be a dealbreaker. 

He can’t let it bother him. There was never any chance their flirtation might become something more. 

It doesn’t stop him from wanting it.

“Daaaaaad!”

“Coming!” he yells back down the stairs. He slips into sweats and a henley, his end-of-workday treat to himself, before heading for the dining room. Keely’s just setting the table while Allura brings out the pot of spaghetti, and he takes a moment to remind himself that he has an amazing life and a family who loves him, and it lessens the sting of knowing Keith will never be a part of it.

\-----

“I think Atwater is trying to kill us.”

Shiro laughs as they head up the stairs toward the back door of the classroom. “Come on. Creating your own functional aircraft and writing a paper for its optimal use in two and a half weeks is completely doable. It’s not evil or sadistic at all, you just have to believe in yourself. And have no other homework, or classes, or a life.”

Keith snorts, easing into the line of students heading out the door into the bright, late afternoon sunshine. “Atwater needs to understand not everyone is like him.”

Shiro lets out a deep, rich chuckle, and Keith’s stomach flutters a little. He’s been trying to work up the courage to ask Shiro out for weeks now, and every time he’s been about to open his mouth, he’s lost his courage or gotten interrupted or Shiro said something that killed the opportunity. Keith has decided enough, today is the day.

“At least he’s letting us work in pairs, if we want,” Shiro reminds him, and Keith feels like this is a sign. He couldn’t have been given a more perfect opening.

“Do you want to work together?” He offers the suggestion up with as casual an air as he can muster, and his heart twists around itself at Shiro’s bright, happy grin in response.

“Absolutely.”

He takes a deep breath. “How about tomorrow night? We could meet after I get off work and maybe… go out for dinner? We can plan over pizza or something.”

The happy grin immediately dims and Shiro’s eyes take on a guarded look. Keith can feel his stomach sink. He knows, instinctively, he’s just ruined everything.

“Keith.” His voice is quiet, gentle. Keith hates it. “I’m flattered, and I’ll be completely honest and tell you the interest is reciprocated. But it’s not a good idea.”

He knew it was coming, but it still stings like a bitch. “Yeah, sure, that’s cool.”

Before he can finish trying to dig himself out of the hole he’s just bodily flung himself into, Shiro continues. “I know you might find an older man fascinating, but our age difference is too significant. It would be irresponsible.”

“I get it, Shiro, I...” He stops. Blinks. “Wait. How old do you think I  _ am _ , exactly?”

Shiro opens his mouth to reply, then stops. Shuts it again. Winces. "A freshman?" 

Keith barks out an incredulous laugh. "You think I'm eighteen? Seriously?" 

"Or nineteen," Shiro offers, but it's sheepish, like he's already figured out he's terribly wrong. 

Keith rolls his eyes. "I don't know whether to be flattered or offended. I'm twenty-three, Shiro. I'm graduating at the end of next semester."

"But History of Aviation is an intro class," Shiro protests, though his voice is faint and lacking conviction. 

They come to a stop beside the Ducati, as has been their routine since the second week of class. Keith leans a hip against it; he's pretty sure Shiro won't protest at this point. "I took all my required classes early on to make sure I didn't run into any scheduling conflicts later. I saved all my gen eds and electives for my last year."

"Oh." Shiro looks chagrined, and Keith's torn between reassuring him and letting him squirm a little, because really?  _ Eighteen.  _ “Well, that makes a bit of a difference. But I’m still a lot older than you.”

Keith grins, a little sharp, a little wicked. “It’s okay, Shiro. Fifteen years is no big deal.”

The chagrin vanishes and in its place is utter outrage. “ _ Fifteen years _ ? You little brat! I just barely turned thirty!”

Shrugging, Keith lets his grin soften into something warmer. “Seven years sounds a lot more reasonable than fifteen, doesn’t it?”

“Just for that, you’re paying,” Shiro informs him tartly, and Keith is too busy doing a mental fist-pump to groan about the hit to his savings. A date with Shiro is totally worth it.

\-----

Keith thought Shiro agreeing to a date was the best part of his day. 

Shiro picking him up for said date on his Ducati is even better. 

“That’s badass. No wonder you’re in love with him,” Lance remarks, his tone a little envious, and Keith punches him in the side. Lance yelps and drops the curtain, letting it fall back over the window as he cradles his ribs. He gives Keith an injured look. “What? It’s true.”

“We haven’t been on a single damn date,” Keith grumbles, sticking his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket. He knows it’s excessive, but it’s his one indulgence. He likes to imagine one day he’ll have a bike of his own, and the jacket is the first step toward being worthy of it. “I can’t be in love with him yet.”

“The number of times you say this man’s name with stars in your eyes would imply otherwise,” Pidge points out dryly, and Keith turns a scowl on her.

“I don’t remember inviting you over to give running commentary.”

Lance flops onto the couch and Pidge gives him a baleful stare when her textbook slides off her lap onto the floor. As usual, he doesn’t notice. “You didn’t. I did. I need someone to keep me company when you’re out with Lover Man.”

“You needed tutoring in algebra,” Pidge corrects him, and leans down to stuff the book in her overflowing bag. “And now I have to leave for work, so you’re going to be alone after all.”

“I’ll call Hunk,” Lance counters.

She shifts some things around in her bag so she can pull the zipper closed. Keith knows before she even tries that she will not succeed. “He’s teaching a cooking class tonight. You can be alone for two hours, you big baby.”

“Hopefully longer,” Keith chimes in, and snickers when Lance makes a face. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Lance. He has a twelve-year-old daughter who lives with him. If we ever hook up, it’ll be here.”

The look of utter horror on Lance’s face is satisfying, but Keith doesn’t have time to enjoy it because right at that moment, the bell rings. Shit, he’d meant to be outside before Shiro made it to the front door.

Pidge shoulders past him, nearly knocking him over with the backpack that’s roughly her same size, and pulls the door open. She gives Shiro an approving once-over. “Keith has taste after all. I was beginning to lose hope after the last drunken frat bro he dragged home.”

“ _ Pidge! _ ” he hisses, but Shiro just laughs.

“We all make poor decisions in college,” Shiro offers, sliding his hand out of his pocket and holding it out for Pidge to shake. “Mine just happen to revolve around letting my daughter make dinner and pick the movie, rather than regrettable hookups.”

Keith’s eyes are on Pidge, who clearly had stopped listening to Shiro as soon as she got a good look at his hand. His heart sinks when she grabs it, not to shake but to inspect. “This is incredible technology! Where did you get it?”

If Keith expected Shiro to be uncomfortable, he’s grateful to find he was wrong. “It’s experimental,” he replies, easy as anything. “I lost my arm in a car accident a long time ago, and the prosthesis I was using was functional enough, but not anything special. My company’s R&D division started working on it a couple years ago and asked me to be the guinea pig.”

“So, one of your company’s arms gave you a new arm?” Lance pipes up, and Keith groans, his face heating in mortification. 

Shiro, however, just grins. “You must be Lance.”

Pidge lets out a bark of laughter. “Your reputation precedes you,” she teases Lance, picking up the backpack she’d dropped to start pawing at Shiro’s shiny arm. “It was nice to meet you, Shiro. You’ll have to come back by when I have time to ask you, like, a million questions.” She waves goodbye and disappears down the sidewalk. 

“I’m about to become another science experiment, aren’t I?” Shiro asks in amusement, and Keith snorts.

“If you’re anywhere near here, she will sniff you out and descend like Frankenstein.”

Shiro gives him a warm smile, and Keith swears those stormcloud gray eyes  _ twinkle  _ at him. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Lance mimes barfing into the cactus plant behind Shiro’s back, and Keith flips him off. “I think it’s time for us to get going before I subject you to any more of my roommate’s bullshit.”

He ushers Shiro out the door and shuts it firmly behind him, blocking out Lance’s loud protests. “You have a nice home,” Shiro comments as he leads Keith to the Ducati.

“It’s Lance’s oldest sister’s house,” Keith explains, taking the helmet Shiro hands him. “She and her husband are doing some kind of archaeological thing in South America for the next year, so she let me and Lance move in so we could keep the place occupied and in relative working order. The mortgage, split between the two of us, is actually cheaper than if we were renting an apartment.”

“It’s nice you have that kind of resource,” Shiro says as he slides his own helmet on. “For most people, the reason they have to pay such exorbitant rent in the first place is because there’s no way they can get a mortgage.”

“Something tells me that’s not a problem you have,” Keith points out.

Shiro shrugs. The visor is up so Keith can see his eyes, which is enough to tell him there’s no smile in them. It’s disconcerting, since Keith can barely recall a Shiro who isn’t smiling. “I got a significant payout from the car accident. It was enough to make sure my daughter and I always had someplace to live.”

He flips the visor down, effectively ending that line of conversation, and swings one leg over the bike. Keith starts to follow, eager to have his thighs wrapped around that much power, but hesitates when he realizes he’s going to have to wrap his arms around Shiro. Not something he’s complaining about, but it’s still early in… whatever this thing between them is.

The helmet twists and Keith can just make out Shiro’s voice, which does at least hold a hint of the missing smile. “You afraid to hold on tight?”

Instead of answering, Keith slides onto the bike and eases his arms around Shiro, locking him in a vice-like grip. “Just drive, you asshole.”

A low, rich chuckle meets his ears and Keith leans his head forward, tucking it against Shiro’s back as Shiro opens the throttle, and Keith thrills to the sound of the engine revving. They pull away from the curb with a blast of power, and Keith’s arms instinctively tighten around Shiro’s waist. 

The drive to the restaurant isn’t short, but it’s also not near long enough for Keith. He could spend the entire night on the back of the Ducati, Shiro’s abs under his fingertips, the wind racing past him and biting into the leather of his jacket. This, he’s decided, is his happy place.

By the time they pull up in front of Gusto D’Italia, Keith’s hungry enough to be okay with the stop. He can also feel the vibration of his phone in his pocket, which he resolutely ignores. He’s not letting anyone or anything interrupt this long-awaited night.

Shiro holds the door for him, then places a hand on the small of his back, and Keith has never been the damsel-in-distress type, but something about Shiro makes him like it. Not that he couldn’t play the hero knight if necessary, but he hadn’t realized how nice it would be to have someone around who knew how to be a real adult, to take charge and lead things.

“Reservation for Shirogane,” Shiro murmurs to the hostess, and she nods, picking up two menus and indicating for them to follow her. 

“Shirogane, huh?” Keith whispers, because the restaurant inspires quiet. There are linen tablecloths, candles, and everyone’s voices are hushed. He has a feeling they’re not actually going to get any work done on their aviation project. That’s okay. It just means an excuse to see him again.

“Last name. Everyone’s called me Shiro as long as I can remember, so it just stuck,” Shiro says with a shrug.

“Do I get to know your first name?”

Shiro’s teeth gleam white even in the low light. “Takashi.”

“Hmm. Takashi. I like it.” He thinks he’ll reserve it for in the bedroom, though. 

His phone buzzes again as they’re seated, and he pulls his phone out in annoyance, intent on turning it off. He pauses when he sees five missed texts and two missed calls from Lance. 

“Something that needs your attention?” Shiro gestures at the phone, but there’s no censure or irritation in his tone. 

“Just Lance. He’s probably bored and wants me to give him a play by play of our date while I’m actually on it, just to keep him entertained.” His finger hovers over the power button but something keeps him from pressing it. 

Shiro opens the menu, eyes skimming the Italian words in fancy script. “If you need to call him, it’s okay. I’ll need a few minutes to decide what I want anyway.”

“Thanks, Shiro.” He excuses himself and heads for the bathroom area, halfway tempted to block Lance, and halfway concerned his roommate has been kidnapped or put himself in the hospital. He opens the texts and sees a string of

_ help keith 911 _

_ shit what do i do  _

_ answer your phone asshole  _

_ i’m really panicking dude fucking call me _

_ where’s the fire extinguisher? _

Shit. Keith hits the call button and paces as the phone rings endlessly until it goes to voicemail. “Hey, it’s Lance, do the thing!”

He stabs the end call button, then hits redial, his anxiety growing when it goes to voicemail again. He hesitates for a moment, chewing on his lip as he tries to come up with any other possible option than what he knows he has to do.

Heading back to the table, he grabs his jacket and slides it back on. Shiro looks up at him in concern, and when he sees the look on Keith’s face, his slides into something like resignation. He stands and slips his own jacket on as well, tossing a fifty dollar bill on the table.

“What are you doing? We haven’t even ordered yet.”

“For their time, and the canceled reservation.” Shiro says it with no hint of annoyance, and Keith is grateful he rolls with the punches so well. “I take it something happened?”

Keith snorts, rolling his eyes as they head for the restaurant’s front door. “It’s Lance. That’s a given. What I’m concerned about is one of his texts asked about the fire extinguisher, and now he’s not answering the phone.”

“Then let’s get you back home as quickly as possible.”

The ride back is faster than the one there, but Keith has a hard time enjoying it, or the sensation of being glued to Shiro’s broad back. His mind races with all the possibilities, and he’s afraid when they pull up in front of the house, he’ll find it engulfed in flames. 

He breathes a small sigh of relief when they turn down his street and there are no skyscraper-sized flames, and nobody’s outside milling around, and there are no fire trucks or ambulances. It’s only a small one, though, because he still doesn’t know what he’ll find inside.

“Lance?” he yells as he flings the front door open. He distantly registers Shiro behind him, but can’t stop to appreciate the fact he’s still there.

“In here!” Hunk calls out, and Keith sags a little. Hunk’s presence means it’s less likely to be an emergency, and also, his voice is as cheerful as ever.

They make their way into the kitchen, where Lance is splayed out facedown at the table and Hunk stands beside him, patting his head occasionally. Keith blinks at the scorch marks all up the walls behind and beside the oven, and the sea of yellow-ish powder covering every surface in the room.

“Fire?”

“Fire.” Hunk nods sagely. “Lance made bacon.”

“Shit, it was a  _ grease fire _ ?” Keith whirls on Lance, glaring. “What did you do?”

Lance bolts upright, hands held defensively in front of me. “It wasn’t my fault, Keith! The grease started popping and splattering and I couldn’t find that screen thing you use to keep it from getting everywhere. Then it got into the gas flames and I panicked and threw my glass of water on it.”

Keith pinches the bridge of his nose and counts to three in his head. “You threw water. On a fucking  _ grease fire _ . Did your mother drop you on your head as an infant?!?”

“That’s not fair, Keith. You know he fell out of the shopping cart that one time,” Hunk reminds him.

“Doesn’t count. He was nineteen.” Keith sighs and grabs the sponge, running it under the faucet so he can get started cleaning up the mess. 

“You don’t want to use plain water.” Keith starts when Shiro speaks up. He’d almost forgotten he was there. “Where’s your vacuum?”

Lance leaps up from the table to drag it out of the hall closet, and Shiro untangles the cord and plugs it in. “You know how to clean up fire extinguisher powder?”

Shiro grins. “My daughter’s third grade science project gone wrong. I have a working familiarity with fire extinguishers.”

The four of them work in sync for the next half hour to clean up the mess. Lance takes some of the bigger objects outside to shake off excess powder, Hunk vacuums, and Shiro mixes up a solution of water and isopropyl alcohol so he can wipe down the counters. Keith works on scrubbing at the scorch marks on the walls. 

When they’re done, it’s not perfect but it’s significantly better. Keith leans a hip against the counter and wipes the back of his arm over his forehead, smearing a bit of leftover powder into his bangs. Lance and Hunk head for the living room, leaving Keith and Shiro alone. 

“Some first date,” he says ruefully, and Shiro shrugs, but his eyes are warm and fond. “Sorry you got dragged into our drama.”

“It’s fine. It was probably more interesting than talking about our aviation homework, and it will make a memorable story for later. Our second date can be the boring one.”

Keith’s heart trips. “Second date?”

Shiro lifts himself away from the counter across from Keith’s, taking the three steps necessary to cross the kitchen. “Now that I know being with you isn’t completely inappropriate, it’s going to take a lot more than a kitchen mishap and a week of cleaning extinguisher powder out of my hair to drive me away.”

Keith tips his head back, holding his breath as Shiro leans into his space. The mirth has faded from his eyes and in its place is something fiery with need. Keith’s hands come up instinctively to rest against Shiro’s chest as he dips his head, settling his mouth lightly on Keith’s.

A noise escapes him when Shiro’s kiss shifts from teasing and gentle to something deep, intent. Keith groans and Shiro takes advantage of his opened mouth to press inward, their tongues meeting hotly. Keith drops his hands to clutch at Shiro’s hips, pulling him tighter into the cradle of his thighs.

The kiss goes on for forever and not near long enough, and when Shiro finally eases back, Keith’s head feels like it’s spinning. “So. Date two.”

Shiro traces a fingertip over Keith’s bottom lip. “Can’t happen soon enough.”

\-----

Unfortunately for both of them, their second date is more elusive than their first. Shiro would find it comical if he wasn't so damn frustrated. The first time they have it on the books, he has to reschedule because Keely begs him to take her and her friend to a concert for their favorite pop star. They reschedule it for a few days later, but Keith gets food poisoning. The third time, Shiro gets tapped on the shoulder an hour before it's time to leave and told they're pulling an all-nighter to have a presentation ready for an unexpected meeting the next day. 

Shiro's beginning to wonder if they're all a sign. 

"Don't be an idiot, Shiro," Keith tells him that night when Shiro finally gets home and calls him. It's nearly one in the morning, but Keith had told him he'd be up working on a paper for his Human Sexuality class. "You're just a busy man with a lot of obligations." 

"Shouldn't that tell us something?" Shiro argues, and Keith sighs on the other end of the phone. 

"It tells me you're an adult, and adults have to work just as hard to make a relationship work. I'm not going to run away because you have a kid and a grown-up job. I haven't yet, I'm not going to start now."

Shiro's silent, because Keith is right, but it's still daunting to realize just how hard it is to fit another person into his schedule and his life. "We haven't even been on a second date. How do you know I'm worth all this trouble?" 

"Maybe we haven't been on actual dates, but I know you, Shiro. We've shared a class for months, we've spent time together all over campus, and I think I've talked to you more on the phone over the last two weeks than I have anyone else in the last year." Keith pauses, and Shiro can hear him typing furiously in the background. Shiro waits until Keith finally breathes out, long and steady. "And besides, Shiro. I've known since our second aviation class that you'd be worth everything I had to give. All the complications are just things we have to work through until we figure it out."

“Come over to my house for dinner.” It’s out before Shiro knows he’s going to say it, and once it is, he doesn’t know whether to be twisted up with apprehension, or accept that he feels good about making the offer.

There’s quiet on the other end, and he leans more toward the apprehension option. “Are you sure? Your daughter will be there, right? I figured most single parents wouldn’t want to introduce their kids to the new person in their lives until they’re sure it’s serious.”

“Isn’t it, though?” His words are soft, because this feels… momentous. 

There’s only a moment of hesitation. “It is.”

“Then please come to dinner. We need to wrap up the final presentation for class on Thursday anyway, and if we try to make any more plans away from my house we’ll likely never finish it.”

Keith laughs. “Dinner, then. Tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow works perfectly.” He doesn’t want to end the call, but it’s late. Keith has work and Shiro needs sleep, because he has to be back up in less than six hours anyway. “I look forward to it.”

“Me too, Shiro. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Keith.”

He presses the end call button, already missing hearing Keith’s voice in his ear.

\-----

“So why is this guy coming over?” 

Shiro smacks Keely’s hand away from the rolls on the table as she reaches to grab one off the plate. “We have a project due for our class on Thursday and tonight’s our last opportunity to finish it up, since I have to work late again tomorrow night.” He refrains from mentioning that his classmate is going to be his partner in more ways than one. He’s not ready to have that talk with her just yet; he wants to see how she and Keith get along, first.

“ _ Again _ ?” Keely whines, and Shiro forces a smile. The last thing he wants to do is get into a fight with his daughter, not when he needs her to be on her best behavior for Keith. “Sensei Kogane is gonna be pissed if you don’t pick me up after aikido!”

“Keely Katherine Shirogane.” He gives her a disapproving stare. “Language.”

Keely rolls her eyes, and Shiro is tempted to just lock her in her room for the night. “You said you’d make time to pick me up, and you haven’t.”

“You know I have to work late Mondays and Wednesdays in order to have the time off for my classes. I can’t ask to leave early on a Wednesday, too.” He heads back to the kitchen to stir the hollandaise sauce simmering on the stove. “I’ll call Sensei Kogane tomorrow, I promise, and we’ll either talk on the phone or I’ll schedule another night to see him, okay?”

“You said that three weeks ago,” she grumbles, but it’s half-hearted. She stomps back into the kitchen and leans on the counter beside him, plucking a couple black olives from the salad bowl. He doesn’t bother slapping her hand away this time. “So. Is there anything else you want to tell me about this Keith guy?”

He tosses a handful of grated cheddar in the hollandaise, stirring it some more as the cheese melts into it, trying to buy some time. Her voice is far too knowing for his liking. “Like what?”

“I don’t know, maybe the fact that you’re totally into him.” She pops another olive in her mouth and grins. “You’re wearing your nicest button-down instead of your usual Henley, you have cologne on, and you haven’t gone to this much trouble for dinner since Christmas. You like this guy. You want to impress him.”

Shiro sighs, moving the salad bowl away from her third attempt to dig into it. “Would it be so bad if I am?”

Shrugging, she reaches over him to snitch a slice of radish from the bowl. “It depends. If the guy is nice, I’ll be okay with it. You deserve to have more than just me and Aunt Allura to fill your social calendar. If he’s a jerk, I’ll be the most horrible child ever so he runs screaming into the night.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” Shiro says dryly, right as the doorbell rings.

“I’ll get it!” She vaults away from the counter and runs for the front door before Shiro can stop her. He stirs the hollandaise one last time and turns the burner down to low before turning to follow her into the foyer. 

Her voice carries to him before he makes it. “Sensei Kogane? What are you doing here?”

“Keely? You’re Shiro’s daughter?”

Realization slams into him when he steps into the foyer to find Keith and his daughter staring at each other in confusion. “So you’re the Sensei Kogane she won’t stop talking about.”

Keith’s gaze lifts to his cautiously. “So you’re one of the two fathers she’s mentioned on several occasions.”

Shiro groans. “Come on in. I owe you a few explanations.”

Keith comes in and Keely slams the door shut, making Keith and Shiro wince. “Me too, Dad.”

Shiro makes a face at his daughter. “You already got an explanation. I met Keith in one of my classes. I didn’t even know he taught aikido, let alone that he was your sensei.”

She sticks her tongue out at him as he turns his back, but he just barely catches the gesture, accompanied by a stifled snicker from Keith. He chooses to ignore them both as he heads back into the kitchen. 

“Is there anything I can help with?” Keith asks, and Shiro glances back over his shoulder.

“If you wanna take the salad bowl to the table, and keep Keely’s hands out of it before we can all sit down for dinner, that would be great.” He turns off the heat under the pan-fried chicken breasts and the cheesy hollandaise, takes the diced rosemary-and-olive-oil potatoes out of the oven, and puts them all into serving dishes while Keith does as instructed.

Shiro sets everything out on the table and feels a little glimmer of pride when Keith says, “This is the best-looking meal I’ve ever seen.” He turns to Keely and says, “Does your dad cook for you like this every night?”

Keely snorts. “My dad cooks for me like once a year.”

“Keely!” Shiro mock-scowls at her. “Don’t make Keith think I don’t provide for you.”

She turns back to Keith. “We eat a lot of pasta. And Aunt Allura and I do the cooking twice a week, because he has to work late on Mondays and Wednesdays.”

Understanding dawns on Keith’s face. “Which is why your dad has never been able to pick you up after aikido on Wednesdays, huh?”

“Yup.” She takes a bite of chicken, nearly drowning in cheese sauce. “I’ve been nagging him for months to come pick me up, but his job won’t let him leave early on Wednesdays.” 

Shiro hands the dish of potatoes over to Keith and nods, his face apologetic. “I got special permission to adapt my work schedule in order to be able to go back and take classes. My schedule was already set when Keely decided she wanted to take aikido, and your class was the only one that worked with her existing schedule.” 

“Speaking of which.” Keith clears his throat, and he looks uncomfortable. Shiro knows what’s coming. “She mentioned she takes aikido because of her fathers. One took it himself, and the other wanted her to take it to learn self-protection. Which one are you?”

Shiro hears the unasked question.  _ And who is the other one? _

Glancing at Keely for permission to tell the story, Shiro sets his knife and fork down. “I’m the one who wanted her to take it for self-protection. My brother, Kuron, is the one who practiced it himself.” 

Confusion takes over Keith’s expression, and Shiro takes a deep breath. This is always the hardest part. “Biologically, Keely is my niece. Kuron and his wife, Elena, died in a car accident when she was less than a year old. Someone hit us head on and we went over a bridge into a river embankment.” He holds up his metal arm. “The car was sinking fast. This happened when I was trying to get Keely out of it before it went completely underwater.”

Keely reaches over and takes his other hand, squeezing his fingers tightly. He knows his grief still shows on his face, even after all these years. “I couldn’t get Kuron or Elena out of the car before it submerged.”

“Dad,” Keely says softly, and he knows what she’s going to say. It’s the same thing she always says. “The coroner’s report said they were both dead before the car went into the water. I was the only one you could have saved, and you did.”

Shiro lifts his head and takes in Keith’s horrified face. “You can understand why this is a story we don’t share with just anyone. However, I realize why you were upset to find out Keely is my daughter, thinking she had two fathers.”

“I got the idea her other father wasn’t in the picture for some reason,” Keith tells him, and his voice is low, deferential. “I think I was just hurt that you hadn’t told me anything about him. But you’re right, I do understand why you didn’t.” He turns to Keely. “I’m sorry if this is hard for you, us discussing this.”

Keely shrugs. “It’s not like I enjoy it, but I was a baby. I don’t remember my bio parents, Dad is the only parent I’ve ever known. So it doesn’t hurt me the way it hurts him. Mostly it just feels weird.” She makes a face. “But if you’re talking about the dating part… Yeah, still. Mostly just weird.”

Shiro straightens, drawing Keith’s gaze back to him. “I think that’s enough backstory for the time being. Why don’t we just enjoy dinner, and Keith, you can tell me about being an aikido teacher? Since that’s clearly something you forgot to tell me about.” He raises an eyebrow and Keith gives him a half-smile in return.

“I’ve been doing martial arts for about fifteen years…”

\-----

“I think that’s it.” Keith leans back on the couch, sliding his laptop onto the coffee table. “We’re finally done, with a day and a half to spare. Take that, Atwater.”

“I’m going to re-read it tomorrow after work for one last round of edits, but I think you’re right. It’s a wrap.” Shiro smiles at him and Keith debates on tamping down the butterflies or just going with it. “So now we have the rest of the night free.”

Keith glances at the time on his laptop. “Not that there’s much of it left. It’s already 9:30.”

Shiro raises an eyebrow. “I would think that would be just the beginning of your night.”

“Well for me, yeah.” Keith grins mischievously. “But you’re an old man. Isn’t it your bedtime?”

Both of Shiro’s eyebrows wing up. “Old man? I’ll show you old…” He shifts on the couch and leans into Keith’s personal space, but Keith doesn’t draw back. He tilts his chin a little, lifts his own eyebrow, an amused smirk playing around his lips. A challenge.

“Ew, Dad.”

Shiro drops back into the seat as he and Keith simultaneously look at Keely, standing in the archway leading into the family room. “I’m heading for bed now.”

“Good night, baby. Do you need me to come tuck you in?”

“ _ Dad _ !” she hisses, mortified, and Keith glances away, biting back a laugh. “I think I can get in bed and pull my blanket up on my own, thanks.”

Shiro chuckles. “I know you can, Keely. But I’m never going to stop being your dad.”

She sniffs. “If you’re still trying to tuck me in when I’m seventeen, I’m calling my lawyer.”

Keith can’t help it this time, he chokes on the laughter bubbling up in his throat. Keely and Shiro both scowl at him, so he puts his hands up in self-defense. “Don’t mind me. I’m not part of this loving father-daughter bond.”

“Have a good night, Keely. Lights out by ten.”

Keely rolls her eyes. “I know, Dad. Good night.” She starts to turn away, hesitates, then glances at Keith. “Um, good night, Sensei Kogane.”

It doesn’t sound right, not right now, but Keith isn’t going to explore why her words bring him discomfort. “You know you can call me Keith here,” he says instead, looking askance at Shiro to make sure he’s not overstepping. Shiro smiles at him a little, so he continues. “I’m your teacher at the dojo, but outside of class, I’m-”

“My father’s boyfriend,” she inserts, cutting him off neatly. “I know. It’s just weird. You’re going to have to give me a little time to get used to it, okay?”

“That’s fair.”

She glances back and forth from Keith’s face to Shiro’s, and softens. “See you both tomorrow.”

Keith gives an awkward little wave as she leaves the room, then looks over at Shiro. “Did I mess that up?”

Shiro considers his question, eyebrows drawn together. “I don’t think so. Keely has always made it clear when she doesn’t like someone, and she promised me before you got here that she’d be nice to you if you were a good guy. But you were hers before you were mine, if that makes sense.”

“You mean I was her teacher before you and I were classmates?”

“Sort of. I think it’s more that she’s known you as her instructor for almost four months now, and she didn’t even know I was dating someone until this morning.” His mouth quirks ruefully. “Even if we’d known each other before you met her, she would still see you as hers first. It comes with the inherent selfishness of being a child. Everything matters in how it relates to her first, and others second.”

Keith accepts that, thinks it over. “Does it bother her that you’re dating, do you think?”

Shiro shakes his head. “No. I’ve dated before, and she’s known about them. She’s only met two of them, but it was a lot more casual of an introduction. I haven’t really been serious about anyone, and she’s always encouraged me to find someone I could be serious about.” He locks his gaze on Keith’s. “But I never really wanted to be serious about anyone. I liked our life, and didn’t want anyone to change it.”

“Should I take that as a hint?” Keith asks, and he tries to keep his voice light, wry, but it still twists a little something in his gut. He’d thought Shiro was as into him as he was into Shiro, but now he doesn’t know what to think.

Shiro moves over enough to take Keith’s hand between his own. Keith registers the feel of Shiro’s thigh pressing against him, the warmth of Shiro’s left hand and the coolness of his right. “Until you, Keith. You caught my attention the first time I laid eyes on you, and you haven’t let go of it since. I didn’t think we had a chance, I thought you were far too young for me, and I kept telling myself I shouldn’t want you. But I did. I always have.” He takes a deep breath. “And I have a feeling I always will.”

Keith moves in before he knows what he’s doing, capturing Shiro’s mouth under his and sliding his fingers into Shiro’s thick, dark hair. Shiro kisses back as urgently as Keith, and he breaks the kiss enough to gasp in air in the scant space between their lips before fusing their mouths back together.

He’s not sure how it happens, but somehow he ends up in Shiro’s lap, his torso curled over so he can kiss Shiro from above. Shiro’s hands roam from his hips to cup his face, thumbs stroking over his cheeks while Keith wraps his hands over Shiro’s shoulders, fingertips digging into the tightly corded muscles of his upper back. “Keith,” Shiro groans against his mouth, but Keith doesn’t let him pull away. There’s no need for talking.

Keith loses track of time as Shiro takes him apart, stitch by stitch, cell by cell, and puts him back together again. It could be minutes, it could be hours; he’d never be able to tell. He rolls his hips, just enough to create pressure, and can feel Shiro half-hard underneath him. Shiro runs his hands down Keith’s back and when they get to his hips again, Keith silently urges him on. Shiro must be telepathic, because his hands slip down over Keith’s waist to cup his ass, squeezing tight and tugging him closer, pulling Keith’s semi-erection down against Shiro’s own.

“Fuck, Shiro,” he gasps, pulling away just enough to breathe. Before he can go back in for another kiss, Shiro hauls in an unsteady breath and pulls back himself. A disappointed whine escapes Keith’s throat and Shiro lets out a wheezy chuckle.

“Sorry, sorry,” he pants. “I let this get out of control.”

“Which is just how I like it,” Keith points out, pouting, but he settles back on Shiro’s thighs in resignation.

Shiro’s eyes are apologetic, and Keith knows what he’s going to say before he even opens his mouth. “Keely is just upstairs, and she’s probably not even asleep yet. Now… it just isn’t the right time, Keith. It’s not because I don’t want it.”

Keith sighs. He hates it, but he gets it. “I know, Shiro. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would hurt her, either.” 

Something flashes in Shiro’s eyes, and Keith doesn’t know how to put a name to it, but something warm and happy curls in his belly as a result. He watches, breath held tight in his throat despite his lips parting, as Shiro leans in, very deliberately. When Shiro’s mouth slots over his again, Keith sighs a little and lets himself sink forward, sliding his arms around Shiro’s neck while Shiro’s slip around his waist. This time there’s no urgency, no fire. It’s easy, unhurried, and Keith feels his heart twist up in his chest at the rush of unadulterated affection that courses through him.

When they finally draw back, Keith feels out of breath, but in a good way. “Shiro,” he murmurs, and Shiro tips his chin up. Keith drops a few light kisses on his upturned lips, and Shiro smiles, something radiant and blinding, and Keith’s heart trips over itself all over again. 

Reluctantly, Keith pulls himself off Shiro’s lap and plops onto the couch beside him. “I’m thinking I should probably go,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “We’ve already started something we can’t finish once. I don’t want to risk doing it again.”

Shiro tucks his arm around Keith’s waist and tugs him closer. Keith, ignoring his own advice, lays his head on Shiro’s chest. “It’s only ten,” he says, and the words rumble through his chest under Keith’s cheek. “This hasn’t been much of a date. We could at least watch a movie.”

“Mmm. A movie sounds good,” Keith admits, readily admitting to himself that the last thing he wants to do is leave.

Shiro reaches over to grab the remote from the arm of the couch, pulling Keith along with him, and turns on the TV. “Anything sound good?” he asks, navigating to his Netflix queue. 

“Anything sounds good, as long as I’m with you.”

\-----

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Keith laughs. “Shiro. I’m the one who suggested it.” He can hear Shiro shuffling papers on his desk in the background and the mundanity of it all, the sheer domestic normalcy, makes his stomach flip.

“Let me double check with Allura and make sure it won’t mess up her plans for the evening.” 

“Sure, just text me when you hear back. And you’re sure  _ Keely _ won’t mind?”

Shiro pauses, and Keith holds his breath. They’ve been dating, with Keely’s knowledge, for three weeks now. He’s pretty sure she’s gotten used to him, and she doesn’t treat him any differently during class, but he’s still a little anxious.

“I really don’t think she will. She talks about you every Wednesday when I get home, and she mentions you a lot during the rest of the week, too. It’s not like she’s super cheerful and enthusiastic, but she’s not like that about anything. I know she likes you, Keith. This is just a new part of your relationship that’s going to take time to get used to, like any new change with the three of us.” He pauses again, and Keith can hear him speaking to someone in the background. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll text her before Allura and give her a chance to say no.”

Keith exhales in relief. “Yeah, that would make me feel better, to know she’s okay with it.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know when I hear from her and Allura. I have to get back to work, though, so I’ll see you tonight, hopefully.”

“See you, Shiro.” He disconnects the call and Lance hangs over the counter, poking his arm.

“You have plans with Mister Perfect tonight?” Lance teases, and Keith rolls his eyes.

“Yes, asshole. I’m taking Keely home from aikido and staying with her until Shiro gets home.”

Lance blinks wide eyes. “Whoa. That’s kind of major.”

Keith shifts uncomfortably. “What do you mean? I’m already there, Keely knows me, and it saves Allura a trip. It’s no big deal.”

“Yeah, but now you’re going to be actually caring for his daughter. Taking her home, cooking dinner, being there when it’s not about her dad. It’s really serious, isn’t it?”

Lance’s uncharacteristically serious demeanor throws Keith off. “I want it to be. I think it is.”

“But it’s only been, what, a month?”

“A little over. But we knew right away that this was different.” Keith allows himself a small, private smile. “I’ve had relationships that I knew from the start were just temporary. This has always felt like the exact opposite.”

Lance’s expression is both wistful and envious. “Wish I knew what that felt like.”

Keith pats him awkwardly on the shoulder. “You’ll find someone. Someday. Once you grow up a little bit.”

Sputtering, Lance hefts himself off the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “Just for that, I’m not waiting up to hear all the details about your date.”

“Yes, you will,” Keith scoffs, ”and it’s because you’re nosy and  _ want _ the details. But I guarantee there won’t be anything to tell. Shiro and I are boring. We play games with Keely and watch movies and cuddle after she’s gone to bed.”

Lance makes a face. “You’re right, you’re boring.” He perks up. “You should come to the club with me and Pidge and Hunk this weekend. He can get that Allura person to babysit, right?”

“Probably.” 

“So, come with us.”

“I’ll ask Shiro, but I need to get to work now.” Keith downs the rest of his coffee just as his phone buzzes.

_ Keely is completely okay with you taking her home, and Allura is looking forward to having the night off. See you after work. _

Butterflies flit around in his stomach, but he still has to bite back a smile.

Lance waves him off. “Go away, you’re lovesick and gross. It’s freaking me out.”

Keith grabs his backpack and heads for the door. “Don’t wait up!” he calls out, and he can’t keep the smile out of his voice.

His first class passes uneventfully, and then his aikido class rolls around. He still treats Keely the same as he always has when they’re in class, but he can’t help keeping a closer eye on her whenever he makes his way over to where she’s practicing. She smiles at him every time, though, so he relaxes, and lets himself breathe.

“So do we have to wait around for everyone else to leave?” she asks when class is finally over, and he nods. 

“There’s usually at least one or two parents who want to talk to me after class, so I always wait until everyone is gone. I didn’t think to mention that to your dad, is it going to be an issue?”

She flops back on the mat and pulls her phone out of her bag. “Nope. I’ll just check Insta while you’re talking to the parents.”

“You know you’re probably too young for that, right?” he asks without thinking, and she guffaws.

“So you’re going full-on Dad Mode now, are you?” 

Keith tenses at first, until he recognizes her tone is teasing. He nudges her foot with one of his and her leg falls from where it’s crossed over her other knee, but she rolls into the movement and props herself up on her hip. “I think I’ve spent too much time around your dad.”

“That’s a good thing,” she says, and her voice is serious. “He really, really likes you, Sensei Kogane.”

He glances around; everyone has either left or are still gathering their belongings, so no one is paying them any attention. “I told you you could call me Keith.”

“We’re still at the dojo. And you’re dodging. My dad likes you more than I’ve ever known him to like anyone.” Her eyes narrow. “If you’re messing with him, my goal in life will be to get better at aikido than you and then kick your ass.”

He drops to the mat and looks her dead in the eyes. “I like your dad a lot, Keely. I swear I would never mess with him, and I would never hurt him on purpose. Also, what did I tell you about threatening language in the dojo?”

She flips her hair over her shoulder. “I’m not threatening my sensei, I’m threatening my dad’s boyfriend. But I believe you.”

Their conversation is cut short when the last straggling parent makes her way over to ask him his opinion on her son’s progress. He answers her quickly and ushers her out the door so he and Keely can get back to the Shirogane house.

Keely lets them in with her key; Keith tries not to think about when he might be able to do the same. It’s far too soon for that, but he can’t help but want it. “I put hamburger in the fridge to thaw this morning,” she tells him as she heads into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

His mind flashes through the few recipes he knows. “Your dad will be off work in about an hour, right?”

Nodding, she reaches into the fridge and pulls out the hamburger. “Yep. He’s out at 6:30 tonight.”

Keith glances at the clock, which reads 5:37. “Can I dig in your cupboards?”

“Knock yourself out.” She pauses in her actions to watch him, eyes curious as he sticks his head in the pantry and then rummages around in the spice cabinet. 

It doesn’t take him long to find everything he needs. When he sets out the jar of spaghetti sauce, the bottles of basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley, and the box of lasagna noodles, Keely’s eyes light up. “You’re making lasagna?”

“Yep. It’s an easy recipe and everyone always loves it.” He reaches into the fridge and pulls out the container of romano and the bag of shredded mozzarella. “Do you and your dad like mushrooms?”

“Love them.” She gets back into the pantry and pulls out a jar of mushroom pieces, handing it over. “And you can call him Shiro, you know. You don’t have to constantly remind me he’s my dad. He’s your boyfriend, you can talk about him like an adult.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Keith studies the serious expression on her face. She’s sassy and loves to tease him, but every once in awhile she has a moment of true earnestness. This appears to be one of them. “You’re not the only one who has to get used to this, Keely. I’ve never dated anyone with a kid before, so I don’t know the rules.”

Keely laughs. “Dad would be the first person to tell you that when it comes to kids, there are no rules. You just figure it out as you go along.”

“He sounds like a pretty good dad.” He goes back to what he was doing, breaking up the hamburger in the pan so it can brown evenly and putting a large pot of water on to start heating for the lasagna noodles.

“He’s the best. You know he was only nineteen when my parents died? He didn’t have to take me in. My mom had an older sister who probably could have afforded an unexpected baby a lot better than he did, but she lived far away and didn’t want to be a mom, and Dad didn’t want me to go to someone who was basically a stranger to our family.” She goes quiet for a moment and Keith turns to watch her, waiting her out. “He’s always told me he’d just lost his brother and sister-in-law, and wasn’t about to lose another member of the family. He already babysat me a lot, when my bio parents wanted a date night or something, and he already loved me like his own. So even though he was barely an adult himself, and he had to drop out of college, and deal with having to learn how to live with only one arm, he still took me.”

Tears dampen her eyes and a few slip over her lashes to leave wet tracks on her cheeks. Keith feels awkward, but takes a step toward her, lifting his arms hesitantly. She gives him a small smile, like she knows what he’s trying to do even though it feels weird, and takes the extra step forward to fold herself into his arms. “That sounds like the Shiro I know.”

“I love him so much,” she says fiercely, and hugs him tighter. “He’s given me everything, and has been the best dad I could ask for. I need you to understand that, and take care of him the way he deserves. Because I’m pretty sure I’m the reason he’s been single for so long, and I want him to have someone who loves him.”

Keith hesitates. “It’s too soon for me to say I love him, Keely.” He pulls away, letting his arms drop, and she mirrors the action. “But I care about him a lot, and I want this to last. I can promise you that I have no intention of abandoning him, and I’ll be around as long as you both want me.”

She blinks. “As long as we  _ both _ want you? Why does my opinion matter?”

Keith stirs the hamburger and drops the noodles into the now-boiling water. “Because you’re always going to be the biggest priority in Shiro’s life. He’s never going to choose me if you’re not okay with it. You know that, right?”

Keely nods, sighing. “I know. And as long as you make him happy, I want you with us.” She makes a face. “Can we be done with the sappy stuff now?”

“Yeah, good idea.” He grins at her, and she grins back. “How about you put on some music?”

She grabs her phone and opens her music app, pulling up a dance playlist. The first song is one he knows and he sings along under his breath, stirring in the spices while Keely dances around the room.

Shiro finds them that way when he gets home less than an hour later. Keith slides a tray of homemade garlic bread into the oven while Keely shows off some capoeira moves, nearly kicking the rack of pots and pans beside the large island in the middle of the kitchen. 

When Keith straightens up, he feels Shiro’s arms slide around him from behind, and Shiro’s lips whispering over the back of his neck. He leans back into the embrace. “Welcome home, Shiro.”

Shiro presses a kiss to the top of his head. “I like the sound of that.”

Keith shifts in his arms, lifting his own to loop around Shiro’s neck. “What, welcome home?”

Dropping another kiss to Keith’s upturned mouth, Shiro smiles. “Yeah. It’s nice to hear you call it that.”

Keely dances over, throwing her arms around both of them and giving them a quick hug. “Hi, Dad. Keith is making lasagna!”

Shiro inhales deeply. “So that’s what smells so fantastic.”

“Can we do this every Wednesday?” she asks, dipping her finger into the scattering of garlic salt Keith spilled on the counter, and sticking it in her mouth. She stares at them both hopefully.

Keith looks up at Shiro, whose lips quirk into a soft, fond smile. “It’s up to Keith, but I like the idea.”

Swallowing, Keith shifts his gaze from Shiro to Keely and back again. Their matching smiles warm him to the core, and he feels like he’s found the place he was meant to be. “Me too.”

\-----

“Shiro.”

He sighs, shifting his phone to his other shoulder while he dices up chicken breasts. “Keith, I mean it. We both want you here.”

“But Christmas is for families.” 

Shiro stops dicing, sets the chicken down, and grabs his phone with the hand that hasn’t just been holding raw poultry. “Don’t you understand, Keith? You’re our family now, too.”

There’s silence on the other end of the line, but where before it might have made Shiro anxious, now he’s steady. He believes in Keith, in them, and he knows Keith does too.

Keith’s voice is quiet when he finally replies. “I know how I feel about you, Shiro. How I feel about you both. I won’t insult you by acting like you don’t know your own feelings. But there’s still a part of me saying this is too good, too much, too fast.”

“Keith.” He lets all his affection fill his voice, hoping Keith can hear every bit of it. “There are some things you just know, and it doesn’t always take years to figure them out.” He resumes dicing the chicken now that he’s through the heavy emotional moment. “Do you realize that Keely is the one who asked me to ask you? She wants you here. She adores you.”

He can hear Keith’s smile when he says, “Then I guess I can’t disappoint her.”

“Be careful you don’t set yourself up for failure in the future,” Shiro teases. “She’s very demanding. You’re going to get knocked off that pedestal at some point.”

“Maybe, but this is our first Christmas together. I’m going to make it as perfect as I can for her.”

Shiro’s heart twists in his chest. He’s so fortunate to have found someone he can not only see a future with, but who cares so deeply about his daughter. “Don’t go overboard.”

Keith laughs. “I can’t afford to buy her her own pony, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Not exactly what I had in mind, but thank you for reassuring me on that end,” Shiro says dryly. He pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I also wondered if you’d like to come over for Christmas Eve.”

“It’d be nice, but it doesn’t make sense for me to come over at night just to come back in the morning.”

Shiro’s voice is deep with meaning when he replies, “No. It doesn’t.”

He waits for Keith to catch on, and when he does, there’s a short, sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. “You want me to stay the night.”

“I think we’re all ready for that, don’t you?”

“If you think Keely is ready, and would be okay with it, then I’d love to.”

Shiro smirks, even though Keith can’t see it. “There are times I think Keely would rather you just never go home.” He stops, then murmurs, “I know I would prefer that, myself.”

“Shit, Shiro, you can’t say stuff like that,” Keith whispers back, and Shiro’s heart flutters a little at the longing in his voice. 

“I can say it if it’s true. It’s probably too soon for you to move in, but… I want that. Someday.”

Keith clears his throat. “Well, Christmas Eve will be a nice test drive. I’ll have to go back home early on Christmas, though, because I can’t leave Lance and the others to fend for themselves.”

“Invite them over for dinner,” Shiro suggests impulsively. “I’d be more than happy to make enough for everyone.”

“Buy all the groceries and Hunk will take over your kitchen,” Keith laughs. “But that sounds amazing. I’ll let them know they’re invited.”

“I want your friends to feel comfortable in my home,” Shiro admits. “Because hopefully you’ll be spending a lot of time here.”

“I’d like that,” Keith says, and the softness of his voice wraps around Shiro’s heart like a blanket. After a second, he laughs. “Remember when we joked about Lance and Keely meeting, and hoping it would never happen? Who would have known then we’d end up here?”

Shiro smiles at the memory. “I didn’t know we would, but I dreamed about it.”

“You’re getting soft and sappy,” Keith teases, but there’s fondness to it, and Shiro knows he’s right. “I have to get to work, though, so we’ll have to put our daydreams on hold for now.”

“Never,” Shiro murmurs back, and Keith sighs indulgently. “But I’ll let you go so you don’t get in trouble for being late to work. Talk to you later?”

“Of course. Bye, Shiro.”

“Bye, Keith.” He waits until Keith disconnects the call and then sets the phone down, getting back to his dinner prep. 

He hasn’t been this excited about Christmas in years. Something tells him it’s the first Christmas of the rest of his life.

\-----

“MERRY CHRISTMAS KEITH!”

Keith laughs as Keely throws her arms around him before he’s even made it in the front door. “Merry Christmas, Keely!” He hands her a wrapped box and she immediately shakes it, perking up at the muffled rattling noise. “No more shaking. Go put it under the tree with everything else.”

Shiro watches them with undisguised affection, wondering what he’s done in the past to deserve this much happiness. Keith looks up as Keely dashes off to the living room, locking gazes with Shiro, and he lifts himself away from the door frame to cross the distance between them. 

“Merry Christmas, Shiro,” he breathes, and Shiro doesn’t bother replying before tugging Keith into his arms and giving him a proper, lingering kiss. He tastes like cinnamon, like fire and warmth and  _ home _ , and Shiro feels like he’s in free-fall, euphoric and exhilarated and never wanting it to end.

“Merry Christmas, Keith,” he says when he finally breaks the kiss, smirking at the dazed expression in Keith’s eyes and the light flush on his cheeks. “Come in.”

Keith shakes himself, arching an eyebrow at Shiro. “Stop trying to distract me. I have more presents in the car, I just didn’t want to come in empty-handed.”

Shiro follows him outside, grateful for the warmth of his sweater when he feels the bite of the chill in the air. “I told you not to go overboard,” he protests when he sees the box of presents in Keith’s tiny backseat. 

“They’re not all for her.” Keith gives him a sidelong look. 

“You better not have spent too much on me,” Shiro grumbles.

“Define ‘too much’,” Keith responds glibly, and pushes the box into Shiro’s hands despite Shiro’s mock scowl. “Go put this under the tree, too.”

“Bossy,” Shiro teases, but he does as he’s told.

Keith heads for the kitchen and surveys the groceries Shiro has spread out. “Hunk is going to want to marry you when he sees this.”

“Too bad.” Shiro sneaks an arm around his waist and pulls him in for a side kiss on the cheek. “I’m taken.”

Keith elbows him in the side. “Good answer, but stop distracting me. I have to figure out what I’m doing for dinner.”

Shiro opens the fridge and pulls out a large salmon fillet. “You said you liked fish, so I got this.”

Keith admires the near-perfect fillet. “Good call. I can work with this.”

“I’ll leave you to it, and go try to keep Keely from unwrapping everything.” Shiro kisses him again, just because he can and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of that, and heads for the living room.

After dinner, they go back into the living room for the Shirogane tradition of opening one present and then watching the cheesiest Christmas movie that happens to be on TV at the time. Keely does the honors of handing out the presents, under Shiro’s and Keith’s direction.

The first thing Keely opens is the present from Keith, and she squeals when she pulls out the hand-made tambourine. “It’s a pandeiro!” she squeals, hugging Keith tight. “Thank you so much! How did you know?”

Keith shrugs, but he’s grinning, clearly pleased by her reaction. “Your dad said you wanted to start learning the capoeira instruments, and I figured this would be the easiest one to get started on.”

“I love it, Keith. Now here, open mine.”

He opens it up to find a pair of fingerless black leather gloves. “Whoa. Keely, these are  _ nice _ .” He slides the gloves on, flexing his fingers and twisting his hands to admire them.

“Dad said you wanted more riding gear, especially if he’s going to let you drive the Ducati,” she explains, and Keith spins in his seat, mouth falling open.

“That was supposed to be a surprise, Keely,” Shiro says, exasperated. She shrugs. 

“Is that my present?” Keith teases. 

Shiro shakes his head, smiling mysteriously. “Nope.” He hands over a small box, which Keith tears into. Shiro made sure to wrap it in a lot of curly ribbon, and watching Keith fight it to get it off is amusing enough to take his mind off his nerves.

When Keith finally gets the ribbon off and the box open, he stares down at the small black key nestled in a mound of cotton.

“Ooh, big spender,” Keely jokes. “Keys are, what? Two dollars?”

Shiro watches the confusion on Keith’s face shift into shock, then joy as he comes to the realization of what the key is, something his daughter has missed. “It’s a key to the house,” he explains quietly, and Keely’s eyes widen. 

Keith grabs the front of his sweater and pulls him down into a thorough, sweeping kiss. “I love you,” he breathes out when they finally part, and the pure honesty in it twists Shiro up, smooths him out, leaves him feeling leveled and destroyed and whole, all at once.

“I love you too, Keith,” he murmurs back, fingers sliding into Keith’s silky hair and fisting, tugging him in for another devastating kiss. He feels Keith’s hand on the back of his neck, the other flat against his chest, and aches at the beauty of the moment. It’s one he’ll never forget, not for as long as he lives.

“Ewwwww. You two are so  _ gross _ .” Shiro twists, opening his mouth to fling some kind of retort at his daughter, but whatever he was going to say disappears from his tongue the second he sees the beaming expression on her face. He can’t remember the last time he saw her so genuinely happy. 

“C’mere,” he says instead, holding out an arm, and she flings herself into their embrace. Keith shifts enough to hold an arm out, too, and they both wrap around her and pull her in, holding her close. 

Shiro is not too ashamed to admit to the tears gathering under his lashes. He locks eyes with Keith over Keely’s head, and sees the same shine to Keith’s that he knows Keith can see in his. “I love you both,” Keith says softly.

Keely curls up in Shiro’s lap--the first time in what feels like forever, and Shiro never wants this moment to end---and studies Keith. “Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago you told me you weren’t ready to say you loved my dad?”

Keith leans in, bumps his forehead against hers. “I wasn’t ready to say it, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel it.”

“Glad you got over the not saying it part,” she sniffs, and pulls him in a little tighter. “I love you too, you know.”

The tears spill over Shiro’s eyelids and he surreptitiously wipes his face against his sleeve. Keith slides a thumb over the curve of his cheekbone, slicking away the wetness before leaning in and kissing Shiro softly. 

“You realize my gift to you can never compare to this, right?” he asks, tone a touch rueful.

Shiro cups Keith’s face in his left hand, smoothing his thumb over Keith’s cheek. Keith leans into the gesture, eyes sparkling up at Shiro. “ _ You _ are my gift, Keith, and the best one of my life.”

\-----

Epilogue

“Dad! Keith! Aunt Allura, Uncle Lance, and everyone else is here!”

“Don’t just stand there with the door open and yelling.” Keith wanders into the foyer and pulls the door open wide enough for everyone to troop inside. “Hey, come on in. Sorry about the banshee.”

“That’s quite all right, Keith.” Allura leans in and kisses him on the cheek. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Allura.” He hugs Pidge and Hunk as they come in and rolls his eyes when Lance goes for a complicated fist bump, but does it anyway. “Shiro’s in the kitchen, Hunk, trying to decide on the menu.”

Hunk pushes past him. “Shiro, get out of my kitchen!”

Keith watches him go, amused. “He realizes it’s  _ my _ kitchen, right? And Shiro’s? Not his.”

“Try telling him that,” Pidge scoffs. She hands a gift over to Keely. “Go put that under the tree.”

Keely rolls her eyes along with a loud, pronounced sigh. “Why does everyone always tell me that? I’m thirteen, not a baby.”

“Because we know if we don’t, you’ll try to sneak them up to your room to unwrap and then rewrap them,” Keith reminds her dryly.

Lance swoops in, wrapping a protective arm around Keely’s shoulders. “She would  _ never _ !” He leans over and mock-whispers conspiratorially in her ear. “Let’s go shake everything under the tree.” Keely giggles and the two of them scamper off to the living room.

“Remember when he was giving me shit about becoming a dad?” Keith asks Allura, and she laughs. “He’s one to be talking. At least I understand how to discipline. Don’t ever breed with him, Allura.”

She smiles. “I can’t make that promise, Keith, but I can at least assure you we’ve never even discussed the possibility.”

“I still can’t believe you looked at his dumb ass and said, ‘Yes, I want that one,’” Pidge snorts. “And that you haven’t run screaming for the hills yet.”

“There’s still time.” Keith heads into the kitchen to make sure Shiro and Hunk aren’t fighting over who gets to cook what. “You two okay in here?”

Hunk points a butcher knife accusingly at Shiro. “Keith, tell him his mashed potatoes were a travesty last year and he needs to just let me handle them.”

Shiro throws his arms in the air. “I was busy trying to play host and make sure everyone was having a good time! Things are different this year!”

Hunk eyes him. “I’ll let you baste the turkey. And put the stuffing in.”

“This is my kitchen, Hunk, and you won’t reduce me to a child helper.”

“Keith,” Hunk whines, and Keith decides it’s time to step in. 

“Shiro, you can work on the broccoli and cheese casserole and get the rolls out. They need to rise. Let Hunk handle the bird, the potatoes, and the stuffing.”

“Et tu?” Shiro mutters, but he steps back as Hunk drops the knife on the island. 

Keith glances between them. “Are we going to have any more problems in here?”

“No,” they both chorus, and Keith nods, satisfied. He leans in to press a kiss to Shiro’s cheek, but Shiro turns at the last second and Keith finds soft lips under his own. Hunk sighs in the background, but it’s a noise of contentment. Keith thinks sometimes Hunk was happier than anyone when he and Shiro got together.

He leaves the two of them and heads into the living room, where he finds Lance and Keely, true to their word, picking up packages and shaking them. Lance’s eyes shine and Keely’s still giggling, and somehow, their camaraderie is one of Keith’s favorite things to come from his and Shiro’s relationship. Outside of the fact that he gets to have Shiro and Keely, that is.

“Do I have to send you to your room?” Keith asks, voice stern, and Keely jumps back guiltily, dropping the present in her hands.

“I didn’t think it was that big a deal,” she protests.

Keith points at Lance. “I was talking to him.”

She laughs at Lance’s outraged face. “Dude, you’re so busted.”

“I’m always getting in trouble. It’s because he likes you better,” Lance tells her.

“I mean, that’s true.” Keith grins when Lance sticks his tongue out. “Why don’t you two watch a movie or something while Shiro and Hunk work on dinner? Stay out of trouble.”

“Ooh, let’s watch  _ Elf _ !” Keely suggests, grabbing the remote and flopping onto the couch.

Keith makes his way into the dining room and finds Pidge and Allura sitting at the table. “Hiding from the chaos?” he asks, dropping down into one of the extra chairs. 

“I wasn’t interested in getting in Hunk’s way,” Pidge informs him, and yeah, he gets that.

“And I didn’t want to interrupt Lance’s time with Keely,” Allura adds, a soft smile on her face. “He’s missed her, since we haven’t seen her in a few weeks.”

“Does Lance realize how sad it is that his best friend is thirteen and smarter than him?” Pidge asks, and while it sounds off-hand, the wicked sparkle in her eyes tells Keith she fully intends the dig.

Allura shakes her head fondly. “He wouldn’t consider it sad at all. I’m just happy he’s happy to be a part of this family, oddly put together as it is.”

Keith shrugs. “He has five younger siblings, remember, and two older ones. Big families are something he understands. And a childlike mentality.”

Pidge snickers, and Keith makes his excuses to head upstairs. He has a few last presents to wrap before dinner. Their extended family gift exchange will happen afterward, and he’s been procrastinating the last few days.

Dinner itself is an even better affair than the year before. It had been a fun afternoon then, but most everyone was still feeling each other out. Lance had fallen in love with Allura at first sight and she hadn’t quite known how to handle his flirting, Pidge hadn’t known how to talk to Keely, and Hunk was so anxious about everyone having a nice time that he’d babbled a good portion of the meal. 

This time, it’s like they’ve known each other all their lives. Keith watches his friends as they talk animatedly to each other, passing dishes back and forth in a chaotic but seamless flow, and wonders how this has become his life. He’d never even thought to hope for it, but it’s more than he ever could have wished for. He’s never experienced love to this degree, and now that he’s had it, he can’t imagine ever being without it.

He lays his hand on his chest, fingers curling protectively over the ring Shiro had given him the night before, worn around his neck on a thin silver chain and tucked discreetly under his shirt. He’s not ready to share the news with his friends, not just yet; he wants to hold it close to his heart for a little bit, first. Just knowing it’s there makes his soul soar and his breathing hitch, and he tries to hide the smile that wants to bloom all over his face.

Shiro catches his eye and then drops his gaze to Keith’s hand, and his eyes soften with happiness. The love in his gaze warms Keith through to his toes; it hasn’t gotten old, not even with a year of “I love you”s and moving in together and spending every day of his life with the man of his dreams.

“I propose a toast,” Shiro announces, standing with his wine glass in hand. Everyone’s chatter stops and they look to Shiro expectantly. “When I fell in love with Keith, I knew I was getting the most amazing man in the world. What I didn’t know was that I was inheriting a ragtag bunch along with him.” Everyone laughs and Allura takes Lance’s hand, giving it a little squeeze. “I’m almost as grateful for that as I am for Keith’s love. You all are family, and Keely and I are thankful for you, every day.”

“To family,” Pidge says, and everyone chimes in, clinking glasses.

Shiro sinks back down in his seat, and Keith reaches out to take his hand, lacing his fingers with Shiro’s. “I love you, Keith,” Shiro murmurs, under the noise of all their friends’ resumed chatter.

Keith leans in and presses his forehead against Shiro’s. “I love you too, Shiro. And I promise to love you every day for the rest of my life.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please come say hi to me on [Tumblr](https://cobrilee.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> (Also, if you want to check out Shiro's bike, [this is it](https://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/ducati/2017-ducati-1299-superleggera-ar176101.html).


End file.
